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Monday, 29 September 2014

Elias Soriano 'Nonpoint' Interview

We recently had the opportunity to interview Elias Soriano of Nonpoint and what an incredibly lovely man he is! Here's the questions we asked:

Firstly, after 17 years, how do you guys manage to play with the same flare and ferocity as you did when you first set out as a band?

I guess it's cause the love is still there. I love to perform. So do my guys. When it stops feeling that way is when it's time to close up shop. I don't see that happening anytime soon. I still get the same excitement and gas when a song comes together or when the fans sing back to me. It's why I do this. In a word this life is magic.

Has it become more difficult over time to tour and release albums or do you still enjoy it as much as when you began?

It's never easy to release a record. There are many gears that move the machine that is the music business. When it comes down to brass tacks they need to treat it like a business or it will spin out of control and people will get fucked. So you try to juggle the artistic and business sides with equal respect.

You guys pack so much feeling and passion into your music, do you use it as an outlet for your emotions?

Of course. I truly believe that it has saved me from making some grave mistakes. It's the most public way to express yourself whilst simultaneously keeping the secret. It's therapy for the psychopath that dwells in us all. Just think back to some of the more influential songs
in your life. Try to remember the images that pop in your head when you hear those songs. They're not always pretty.

You have toured with some fantastic bands in the past, but who would be the one band/artist you would love to share the stage with?

Deftones.. They have all my respect artistically and performance wise.. They are hands down, the full package.We asked on our social media what questions people wanted to ask you?Johnny Schofield asks - What got you into music?
A dare.. In high school someone dared me to try out for a play.. And during a friendly rehearsal/practice session of the guys in the first incarnation of Nonpoint, Robb dared me to grab the mic and do something. The rest is history.

Samantha Holloway - You have said the stage is your battleground so who is your enemy?
The hour that they give us. From the first note to the last note it is warfare on the senses. We want to lift you up and drive you forward, and when it's all done we want people looking at each other like, "Holy shit what happened!"

What were your main inspirations and intentions for the upcoming album The Return?

Life.. It's not easy, but I'm not only gonna make it work in my favor but I'm gonna have a blast doing it. Life's too short to not seize it at every turn.

Is there anything you have done different in making the newest album?

The mix. We used gear and JohnnyK took it to the limit with the mix. It was about power. Epic or nothing. We wanted blood and we weren't willing to accept anything less.
What can fans hope to see at live performances with the addition of this album?

Some bangers.. Songs like Razors and The Return are going to stir pits like the days of To The Pain. The riffs, the vocals, all went for the limit and then some. To say we challenged ourselves this record would be the understatement of the decade.

You've mentioned that one of the aims of your music is to help people feel better about his/her day, how do you know when you have achieved that goal?

When we visit the Merch table every night. We like to get out there and hear it from them. Their favorite moments, their disappointments, and most of all their stories. Knowing a song we wrote or lyric I wrote stopped people from doing something horrible or how a song helped them survive fighting cancer or a dangerous environment still blows my mind to this
day.

If you had to listen to one band for the rest of your life and you were not able to listen to anything else, what band would you choose?

Ugh.. That's an impossible question, but I guess Deftones would be up there. Maybe Circa Survive. Tough question.

So there you have it! Nonpoint's new album 'The Return' hits stores tomorrow! (Sept 30th), we have been listening to it adn already love it so check it out!